Harmanpreet Kaur steps down as India captain

New Delhi: India’s only World Cup-winning women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Tuesday stepped down from her position in all three formats, saying that she has done her duty as leader and is now “ready to play for the love of the game again.”

The 37-year-old’s announcement came after a BCCI review meeting in Guwahati to evaluate the team’s trajectory in the past few months. Chaired by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, the meeting was attended by Harmanpreet, vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and head coach Amol Muzumdar.

Mandhana, who has recently been vocal about her ambitions to lead the ‘Women in Blue’, is the front-runner to take over as the next captain.

“Today, I step down as captain of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team across all formats,” Harmanpreet, who has been enduring a lean patch for a while now, wrote in an Instagram post.

“This is not an easy decision. It carries years of memories, emotions, sacrifices, and moments that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” added the right-hander, who had earlier spoken about wanting to lead the team till at least the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for which India have already qualified.

Harmanpreet led the Indian T20 side for a decade, taking over as skipper in 2016. She was elevated to ODI captaincy in 2022 before becoming the all-format leader in 2023.

“I feel I have done my duty. I gave this team everything I had. I carried the responsibility with pride, and I will always be grateful for the privilege of leading Indian women’s cricket,” said the player who hails from Moga in Punjab. She will, however, continue to play for India across formats. “Now, it is time for me to turn the page. Captaincy may end today, but my love for Indian cricket never will. Blood. Sweat. Sacrifice. Pride. I gave it all. Now, I’m ready to play for the love of the game again. Captaincy ends. The journey continues,” she said.

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The Hans India